The Super Bowl’s largest annual purpose-driven event features over 30 celebrated chefs, top NFL players, and sports and entertainment stars for a highly anticipated culinary experience that will help tackle student hunger in Arizona and around the nation.
NEW YORK (January 12, 2023) – GENYOUth, a national non-profit organization which creates healthier school communities, kicked off ticket sales today in partnership with Frito-Lay, Quaker and the PepsiCo Foundation for Taste of the NFL, an annual Super Bowl weekend purpose-driven event which features the culinary sizzle of top chefs and the star power of NFL players to raise critical funds to help tackle hunger and food insecurity among youth.
Taste of the NFL, which will take place on Saturday, February 11, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. MST at Chateau Luxe in Phoenix, features a stellar line-up of chef talent and NFL greats. The event is hosted by five nationally renowned celebrity and veteran Taste of the NFL chefs including Andrew Zimmern, Carla Hall, Tim Love, Lasheeda Perry, and Mark Bucher. Over 25 additional chefs are also showcased, including Arizona culinary stars Maurice Gordon, Christopher Gross, Beau MacMillan, Maria Mazon, and Mark Tarbell; as well as chefs from the PepsiCo Foundation’s IMPACTO Hispanic Business Accelerator program and PepsiCo’s Juntos Crecemos program. Chefs include Yesenia Ramirez, Miriam Ramirez, Lucia and Ramon Garcia, and Imelda Hartley.
Net proceeds from Taste of the NFL, as well as Mission 57, its accompanying student hunger initiative that is delivering 57 Grab and Go school meal equipment packages to high-need Arizona schools, will benefit GENYOUth’s End Student Hunger Fund, which provides resources to help increase access to and participation in school meals for 30 million students nationwide who rely on them for their daily nutrition needs. The funds raised through Taste of the NFL will support school nutrition programs in Arizona and NFL Club markets across the nation.
“With our long-standing history of uplifting the communities where we live and work, Frito-Lay, Quaker and the PepsiCo Foundation are committed to providing equitable access to critical resources to help food insecure communities throughout the United States. Supporting GENYOUth’s Taste of NFL and its lead-up Mission 57 initiative allows us to continue our focus on providing necessary tools and resources to schools in need,” said Steven Williams, CEO, PepsiCo Foods North America. “We’re proud of our partnership with GENYOUth to drive meaningful impact to help end student hunger in Arizona, and across the country.”
“One in 8 children in the U.S. is living in food insecurity, and children living in communities of color are at even greater risk. School meals are a lifeline and are the only nutritious meals that many children eat on some days,” said Ann Marie Krautheim, M.A., R.D., L.D., CEO of GENYOUth. “Founded by America’s Dairy Farmers and the NFL, GENYOUth is proud to partner with purpose-minded organizations through our signature programs, including Taste of the NFL and Mission 57, to ensure that students are nourished, active and supported.”
Taste of the NFL guests with a passion for food, football and fun will have access to over 30 unique culinary experiences from America’s top chefs. There will be mingling and autograph sessions with NFL legends, as well as with Miss America; a spirited assortment of beverages; a silent auction for sports memorabilia; and opportunities to enter to win great prizes, and taste delicious recipes incorporating Frito-Lay, Quaker, and other sponsor products.
In addition, over 60 students ages 15 and 16 from the Careers though Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP), a culinary workforce development non-profit that serves underserved teens across the U.S., will provide on-site culinary assistance to Taste of the NFL chefs, gaining valuable real-life experience in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
GENYOUth’s additional End Student Hunger partners including Hormel, American Family Insurance, Shamrock Farms, Kona Grill, STK, Frontdoors Media, Hubbard Radio Phoenix, and Chateau Luxe will add delicious flavor and good spirits, along with retail and promotional support, to the event.
Taste of the NFL tickets are $750 each for General Admission and $950 each for VIP tickets, which includes exclusive access to the VIP lounge; exclusive meet, greet and autograph opportunities with NFL players, chefs and special guests; and special parking privileges at Chateau Luxe. To purchase tickets for Taste of the NFL and help End Student Hunger, visit www.TasteoftheNFL.com.
About Mission 57
Leading up to Taste of the NFL and Super Bowl LVII, GENYOUth launched Mission 57: End Student Hunger in September 2022. Mission 57 is a community-based initiative that is equipping schools in high-need communities in Arizona with a total of 57 Grab and Go school meal equipment packages to tackle hunger among Arizona youth. With the support of partners including the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee and Dairy Council® of Arizona, as well as purpose-driven sponsors including the BHHS Legacy Foundation, Frito-Lay North America, Fiesta Bowl Charities, Fry’s Food Stores, the ISA Foundation, the PepsiCo Foundation, the Quaker Oats Company, and Frontdoors Media, Mission 57 is providing critical school meal equipment to increase school meal participation among Arizona children.
Taste of the NFL and GENYOUth
Founded in 1992 by Wayne Kostroski, Taste of the NFL has for 32 years been on the front lines of raising awareness and generating funds to fight hunger and food insecurity in Super Bowl host cities and the 32 NFL Club markets by teaming up with many of the country’s top chefs and NFL’s greatest players. 2023 marks the third year for GENYOUth as the event’s charitable partner. Funds raised for GENYOUth by the 2022 Taste of the NFL in Los Angles helped deliver a collective impact totaling $1.5 million and the delivery of over 93 million school meals to food insecure students across the country.
“GENYOUth, a valued and vital NFL non-profit partner, has a long-standing commitment to improving the health and wellness of America’s youth through its Fuel Up To Play 60 program with America’s Dairy Farmers, and its NFL FLAG-In-Schools programs,” said Peter O’Reilly, NFL Executive Vice President, Club Business & League Events. “We are proud of our partnership with GENYOUth and Taste of the NFL, as the funds raised will go right into tackling food insecurity and providing school meals to our NFL communities across the nation.”
“It is my privilege and honor to serve as culinary host of Taste of the NFL, supporting GENYOUth in its mission to help feed our nation’s kids and end student hunger. As a long-time committed advocate in championing nutrition equity and fighting food insecurity, I urge everyone to support Taste of the NFL. With incredible chefs cooking up mouthwatering dishes, this will be our most delicious event yet!” said Andrew Zimmern, Emmy award-winning TV personality, chef, Taste of the NFL culinary host, and Goodwill Ambassador for the UN World Food Program.
“GENYOUth is a crucial partner of the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee in driving lasting social and economic impact across our local communities,” said Jay Parry, President & Chief Executive Officer of the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee. “We are proud to see our Mission 57: End Student Hunger initiative culminate with Taste of the NFL – both of which are raising critical funds to end student hunger in Arizona schools.”
The Impact of GENYOUth, PepsiCo Foods North America, and PepsiCo Foundation
PepsiCo Foods North America’s and PepsiCo Foundation’s multi-faceted, multi-year support has been critical in helping GENYOUth advance its mission of building healthier school communities. Since 2009, PepsiCo Foods North America and PepsiCo Foundation have provided over $6 million to fight child hunger and food insecurity, most recently $1 million in 2022 to support Taste of the NFL and Mission 57: End Student Hunger. PepsiCo Foods North America’s and PepsiCo Foundation’s Mission 57 support in Arizona includes funding a total of 22 Grab and Go meal equipment packages to high need schools in Phoenix, Tucson, and Casa Grande, impacting over 12,000 students and helping to increase access to over 3.3 million school meals. In 2022, the PepsiCo Foundation’s and Frito-Lay’s support of six Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Kool Kitchens cafeteria renovations as part of Super Bowl LVI has positively impacted 3,300 students and driven average daily participation by 25% to 60%. LAUSD has also expanded its PepsiCo Foods North America-supported school smoothie program from six to 46 high schools based on positive impact.
In addition, over the past 14 years PepsiCo Foods North America and PepsiCo Foundation have provided critical support for GENYOUth programs designed to advance youth health and wellness. These include a Quaker Oats partnership for breakfast equipment grants to schools; serving as a founding partner of the Spanish-language version of GENYOUth’s flagship program, Fuel Up to Play 60 en Español; helping to expand GENYOUth’s Grab ‘n’ Go school breakfast programs by over 10 million school breakfast opportunities through PepsiCo Foods North America’s Healthy Living Initiative Move for Good (formerly “Ready, Step, Move…Give!”) – an engagement effort that funded 114 school meal carts which helped deliver over 17 million meals to over 63,000 students; partnering with the PepsiCo Foundation’s Food for Good Program to advance a more equitable food system to ensure communities have food security and access to nutritious meals; and supporting GENYOUth’s Fuel Up to Play 60 summits with Adventure Capital events and providing in-kind product donations and cooking events.
About GENYOUth
GENYOUth is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that creates healthier school communities. Founded by America’s dairy farmers and the NFL, GENYOUth convenes a network of private and public partners, including Fortune 100 companies and foundations, to raise funds for youth wellness initiatives that give youth the inspiration, motivation, and programs to be healthy high-achieving students. GENYOUth’s flagship program, Fuel Up to Play 60, enrolls over 73,000 U.S. schools, reaching over 38 million students. Our school nutrition grants increase access to healthy school meals among food insecure students. NFL FLAG-In-Schools is the fastest-growing youth sport in the country (ages 6-14) with over 32,000 flag kits to school communities reaching over 15 million students. AdVenture Capital brings out the entrepreneurial spirit and creativity of students with the support of corporate mentors to solve real world problems. GENYOUth is the official charitable partner of Taste of the NFL, a purpose-driven Super Bowl culinary experience that raises awareness and generates funds to fight hunger and food insecurity to support the organization’s commitment to end student hunger.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $79 billion in net revenue in 2021, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with PepsiCo Positive (pep+). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com
About Frito-Lay North America
Frito-Lay North America is the $18 billion convenient foods division of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, N.Y. Frito-Lay snacks include Lay’s and Ruffles potato chips, Doritos tortilla chips, Cheetos snacks, Tostitos tortilla chips and branded dips, SunChips multigrain snacks and Fritos corn chips. The company operates 30+ manufacturing facilities across the U.S. and Canada, more than 200 distribution centers and services 315,000 retail customers per week through its direct-store-delivery model. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate website, http:www.fritolay.com, on Twitter fritolay, on Instagram @fritolay and on Facebook Frito-Lay.
About the PepsiCo Foundation
Established in 1962, the PepsiCo Foundation, the philanthropic arm of PepsiCo, invests in the essential elements of a sustainable food system with a mission to support thriving communities. Working with non-profits and experts around the globe, we’re focused on helping communities obtain access to food security, safe water and economic opportunity. We strive for tangible impact in the places where we live and work—collaborating with industry peers, local and international organizations, and our employees to affect large-scale change on the issues that matter to us and are of global importance. Learn more at www.pepsicofoundation.com.
About Quaker
The Quaker Oats Company, headquartered in Chicago, is a unit of PepsiCo, Inc., one of the world’s largest consumer packaged goods companies. For more than 140 years, Quaker’s brands have served as symbols of quality, great taste and nutrition. Quaker® Oats, Quaker® Rice Cakes and Quaker Chewy® Granola Bars are consumer favorites. For more information, please visit www.QuakerOats.com, www.Facebook.com/Quaker, or follow us on Twitter and Instagram @Quaker.
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